Lecture 15 - Spinal Cord Anatomy

Question 1

What are the 2 spinal descending tracts?

Answer 1

• Ventral Corticospinal tract (VCST)
• lateral corticospinal tract (LCST)

Question 2

What type of commands to the descending tracts carry?

Answer 2

Motor commands

Question 3

What are the 2 ascending spinal tracts?

Answer 3

• Dorsal Column Medial Lemniscus tract (DCML)
• Ventral spinothalamic tract (VST)

Question 4

What type of commands to the ascending tracts carry?

Answer 4

Sensory commands

Question 5

What does decussate mean?

Answer 5

Switching sides

Question 6

Where do AP’s get sent for motor commands?

Answer 6

M1

Question 7

Where does LCST decussate?

Answer 7

Caudal medulla

Question 8

What type of muscles does the LCST send input to?

Answer 8

Distal muscles in the extremities

Question 9

What type of muscles does the VCST send input to?

Answer 9

proximal muscles (trunk and face)

Question 10

What tract splits and innervates both the left and right side?

Answer 10

VCST

Question 11

What type of inputs travel up the spinal cord along the medial lemniscus tract? Be specific.

Answer 11

Mechanosensory inputs
- cutaneous receptors
- muscle spindles
- GTOs
- joint receptors

Question 12

Where does the DCML tract decussate?

Answer 12

Caudal medulla

Question 13

What travels up the ventral spinothalamic tract?

Answer 13

Pain and temperature sensory inputs

Question 14

Where does decussation occur for the VST?

Answer 14

the level at which it enters the spine

Question 15

How are motor neurons arranged in the ventral horn?

Answer 15

Such that the ones which control distal muscles are located more laterally